20011013027339A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Thundr AX8-90 S 2 · Albuquerque, NM · October 13, 2001

Date
October 13, 2001 · 08:15 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N407TC
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA016
Reported as
Thundr AX890S2
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
427 total280 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On October 13, 2001, at 0815 mountain daylight time, a thunder and colt, AX8-90 balloon, N407TC, struck vehicles and poles during landing near Albuquerque, new Mexico. The balloon was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured, and the balloon sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area; however the wind was reported from 010 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 18 knots. A flight plan was not filed for the local flight which departed the balloon fiesta park at 0810. The pilot reported that during the landing in the gusty wind conditions, the balloon struck a motor home, skidded along the ground, and struck a minivan. Subsequently, the envelope caught 2 light poles, bending the poles approximately 45 degrees, before the basket came to rest against a land cruiser located in the parking lot at 5051 journal boulevard. The plastic top of the motor home was damaged, the right tail light was broken on the minivan, and the door was dented on the land cruiser. The envelope was destroyed with multiple ripped places found throughout, and the basket received light scrapes. (-23) on October 13, 2001, at 0815 MST, a thunder and colt AX8-90 balloon, N407TC, registered to keith newbill was substantially damaged after a high wind landing in a parking lot located at 5051 journal blvd. In Albuquerque, new Mexico while on a pleasure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. The flight originated from the Albuquerque balloon fiesta park at 0810 MST. (.4) on October 13, 2001, at 0810 mountain daylight time, a thunder and colt AX8-90 balloon, N407TC, struck vehicles and poles during landing near Albuquerque, new Mexico. The balloon was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured, and the balloon sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area. A flight plan was not filed for the local personal flight which departed the balloon fiesat park approximately 0800. The pilot reported that during the landing in GU sty wind conditions, the balloon struck a motor home, skidded along the ground, and struck a minivan. Subsequently, the envelope caught 2 light poles, bending the poles approximately 45 degrees, before the basket came to rest against a sport utility van located in the parking lot. The plastic top of the motor home was damaged, the right tail light was broken on the minivan, and the door was dented on the sport utility vehicle. The envelope received multiple tears, and the basket received light scrapes. At 0756, the Albuquerque weather observation facility reported the wind from 130 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 18 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 7 degrees celsius (44 degrees fahrenheit), and dew point -13 degrees celsius (9 degrees fahrenheit). The altimeter setting was 30.01 inches of mercury.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON OCTOBER 13, 2001, AT 0815 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A THUNDER AND COLT, AX8-90 BALLOON, N407TC, STRUCK VEHICLES AND POLES DURING LANDING NEAR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE BALLOON WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED, AND THE BALLOON SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA; HOWEVER THE WIND WAS REPORTED FROM 010 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS GUSTING TO 18 KNOTS. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED THE BALLOON FIESTA PARK AT 0810. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING IN THE GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS, THE BALLOON STRUCK A MOTOR HOME, SKIDDED ALONG THE GROUND, AND STRUCK A MINIVAN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENVELOPE CAUGHT 2 LIGHT POLES, BENDING THE POLES APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES, BEFORE THE BASKET CAME TO REST AGAINST A LAND CRUISER LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT AT 5051 JOURNAL BOULEVARD. THE PLASTIC TOP OF THE MOTOR HOME WAS DAMAGED, THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHT WAS BROKEN ON THE MINIVAN, AND THE DOOR WAS DENTED ON THE LAND CRUISER. THE ENVELOPE WAS DESTROYED WITH MULTIPLE RIPPED PLACES FOUND THROUGHOUT, AND THE BASKET RECEIVED LIGHT SCRAPES. (-23) ON OCTOBER 13, 2001, AT 0815 MST, A THUNDER AND COLT AX8-90 BALLOON, N407TC, REGISTERED TO KEITH NEWBILL WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER A HIGH WIND LANDING IN A PARKING LOT LOCATED AT 5051 JOURNAL BLVD. IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTA PARK AT 0810 MST. (.4) ON OCTOBER 13, 2001, AT 0810 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A THUNDER AND COLT AX8-90 BALLOON, N407TC, STRUCK VEHICLES AND POLES DURING LANDING NEAR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE BALLOON WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED, AND THE BALLOON SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED THE BALLOON FIESAT PARK APPROXIMATELY 0800. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING IN GU STY WIND CONDITIONS, THE BALLOON STRUCK A MOTOR HOME, SKIDDED ALONG THE GROUND, AND STRUCK A MINIVAN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENVELOPE CAUGHT 2 LIGHT POLES, BENDING THE POLES APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES, BEFORE THE BASKET CAME TO REST AGAINST A SPORT UTILITY VAN LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT. THE PLASTIC TOP OF THE MOTOR HOME WAS DAMAGED, THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHT WAS BROKEN ON THE MINIVAN, AND THE DOOR WAS DENTED ON THE SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE. THE ENVELOPE RECEIVED MULTIPLE TEARS, AND THE BASKET RECEIVED LIGHT SCRAPES. AT 0756, THE ALBUQUERQUE WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY REPORTED THE WIND FROM 130 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS GUSTING TO 18 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SKY CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 7 DEGREES CELSIUS (44 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT), AND DEW POINT -13 DEGREES CELSIUS (9 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT). THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 30.01 INCHES OF MERCURY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.